(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data collection device that collects data from a terminal device, a program for the data collection, and a data collection method. The present invention particularly relates to a function of registering a start times of sets of procedures performed for the data collection.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, data collection devices have been used for periodically collecting several types of data from terminal devices, such as an MFP (Multi Functional Peripheral) set up in a customer's office. For instance, Japanese laid-open patent publication application No. H07-325513 discloses a technique to collect operational data of a copy machine by connecting a data collection device to the copy machine through telephone lines. The data collection device realizes accounting based on usage by collecting the operational data. Further, the data collection device can realize not only the accounting but also malfunction detection, depending on the type of data to be collected. Additionally, in recent years, data collection systems using not only telephone lines but E-mails to collect data have brought into operation.
Generally, the data collection device registers start times of sets of procedures performed for the data collection. (Each set of the procedures for the data collection includes a series of procedures that starts with a request for the data and ends with an obtainment of the data). Usually, the start time is manually registered one by one by the administrator of the data collection device.
In recent years, the data collection devices have had many occasions to be merged and abolished, as companies or departments in a company have been merged and abolished. On such occasions, the administrator is required to transfer the registration information, such as the start times, from a data collection device that should be withdrawn from service, to a data collection device that should remain in service.
However, the number of entries included in the registration information is very large, and the burden on the administrator is great if the administrator has to manually transfer the data one by one. To solve this problem, a method for copying all the registration information at the same time has been worked out.
Nevertheless, if the data collection device simply copies the registration information, the number of the duplicative sets of the procedures might exceed the maximum number that the data collection device can manage at the same time. If this is the case, the data collection device can not start some procedures until other proceeding procedures have been finished. Therefore, some procedures will be started later than the actual registered times.
The data collection device is used for a system that charges the customers according to the usage of the terminal devices. Generally, the date and time for collecting the data is specified by each customer. If the data collection is started later than the specified time, the accounting operation often becomes unsmooth. Therefore, it is a problem if the start of the data collection is delayed.